The invention relates to a device for producing ground meat patties of beef and/or pork.
This type of device is already known in the art based on NL-A-9301248, the European patent EP 0 708 601 B1 and the European patent application EP 0 818 148 A1. The disadvantage found in these devices is that with the existing shaping plate having a maximum of six openings, the previous filling process and the system-related maximum number of 80 to 90 cycles per minute allows only a limited output of ground beef and/or pork patties. Accordingly, there is a need for further developing a device of the above mentioned type so as to permit a significant increase in the output.
The problem is solved in accordance with the invention by means of a device having the characteristic features of the patent claims.
Preferred characteristic features that advance the invention advantageously are also found in the patent claims.
Based on the design of the device according to the invention, an advantageous increase in the output of at least 33% is achieved even with the previous 80 cycles per minute and at least 50% with 90 cycles per minute. Of course, the device is also capable of operating at higher rates with respectively higher increases in the output up to a system-dependent limit.
The new shaping plate configuration having an uneven number of holes that are arranged offset in two rows, one behind the other, achieves a significant increase in capacity. Shaping plates having 7, 9 or 11 holes or having an even number of 8 or 10 holes are preferred. The arrangement is such that the number of holes in the row disposed in the direction of the shaping plate""s ejecting position is lower by one than in the row behind or vice versa. The holes are xe2x80x9cinterlocked,xe2x80x9d so to speak, the distance between the front row and the rear row being smaller than the constant diameter of the holes. The holes in the front row are preferably disposed so as to be centrally offset relative to those in the rear row.
A further substantial measurement for the significant increase in the output is the configuration of a separate filling slot provided for each hole. The slot preferably has a right-angled cross section for shearing off the meat fiber whose lateral width is smaller than the width of the space between the holes of the adjacent row and whose length is smaller than the hole diameter. Said filling slots are disposed in a row and centrally adjusted to the holes and are preferably provided in a common receiver plate. With the above described filling slot arrangement, an ideal filling process is advantageously achieved in the filling position where the filling slots are covered by the holes when the shaping plate is moved out into the ejecting position.
The bar that serves to reduce the excess pressure is disposed in the output area of the shaping station and has a continuous longitudinal slit over its entire length. It is disposed below the front end and does not have grooves of a ventilation plate, which are disposed in the direction of the movement of the shaping plate. The ventilation plate itself is mounted stationary in the shaping station and has groove-shaped ventilation openings which run parallel to the shaping plate""s moving direction and which are open on the side opposite the ejecting position.
The ground meat is preferably supplied via a distribution chamber provided below the receiver plate. The chamber can be filled with at least two alternately operating filling cylinders whose filling chamber is opened and closed by means of a rotary slide valve.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts.